Bab 128: The Saber Master
I don't own star wars
I crawled feebly from my room to the kitchen, my legs too numb and weak to support the rest of me as I pulled myself to the couch and Barradowwa, lounging on his 'bed' absently watching me try and crawl onto the couch.
"…My dad…" I groaned, collapsing back to the floor, "Had arguably four healthy relationships on his ship… How is he still alive?!" I whimpered as Barradowwa lifted me from the floor by the back of my shirt, sitting me up as I lay on the table. "I can barely handle ONE of them! How did he manage four?!"
Barradowwa laughed in his chest, patting my shoulder and sliding a tall glass of water toward me as I immediately gulped it down. "Personally, I don't court more than one female at once… so…" he shrugged as the empty glass slapped the table. "No idea."
"Helpful Barry…" I groaned, resting my head on the table as he nudged me with his foot paw.
"Hey, I sleep here…" Barradowwa mumbled. I merely moaned as Rattletrap's voice rolled up from one of the many vents.
"Hey bro! We're home!" he said as the ship rumbled softly and bumped a little as the supports hit the landing pad at the house.
Barradowwa elbowed me, "Come on. You have a warm bed waiting for you…" he pulled my exhausted body from the couch as Rattletrap joined us in the hold, followed of course by X-E as the ramp dropped, and we approached my house.
The second we opened the door we saw a familiar face sitting at the table with a steaming cup of hot tea as he watched what appeared to be low-gravity golf on the holo-screen. He smiled beneath his bushy, black and white beard as he saw us.
"Ah. Captain Roland. Welcome back." Said Jedi Master Jon-Nee-Nox.
As the realization that I did in fact know a lightsaber user hit me, Barradowwa roared a battle cry, lifting his ax above his head. "Whoa wait!" I shouted as Rattletrap and I leaped onto the shaft of the ax, holding it from swinging forwards onto the Jedi. Easily held off the ground, we hung there as Barradowwa lowered us to the floor. "He's okay…" I looked at him however, "But what are you doing here?"
He looked oddly serene at the holo-screen as Nexu Steel the golfer slapped a golf ball off into the distance on some low gravity moon. "I felt a disturbance in the force…" he said mysteriously.
We stared at him in awe, "Really?"
He chuckled, "No." Barradowwa coughed into his paw, trying to restrain his laughter. "The mayor asked me to housesit in case your Grandfather wanted to do something uncouth.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Rattletrap began rather dramatically, glaring at the Jedi suspiciously as he approached, "How did you get past my turrets?!"
"There's a blank zone on the right side of the fence that allowed me to bypass your security and program my biometrics into their sensors, so they wouldn't fire on me." We stared at him again, but still suspiciously. We had been burned before… "That is the truth. I would fix that…" he replied honestly, with a nod to the Jawa as he grumbled angrily.
"X-E!" he mumbled stomping adorably outside, as the droid devotedly followed. Jon's eyes narrowed curiously at the now skinned-covered X-E but he quickly placed a smile back on is face and he turned back to us.
"Well. Since you have returned I shall finish my tea and-"
"Wait!" I said suddenly approaching him quickly as I pulled my mother's lightsaber from its holder at my waist as he stared at it in both surprise and curiosity.
"Where did you get that?" he asked slowly, eyes narrowing thoughtfully as I held it carefully in my hand.
"It's my mother's, I need you to show me how to use it properly…"
He stared at me like I was insane, but took the lightsaber from my hand, carefully holding it in his grip as he activated it. Staring at the brilliant red color thoughtfully. He looked at me, studying me as the saber retracted, and he handed it back to me.
"I'm not going to do that." He said firmly.
I sighed exasperatedly, "Why the heck not? I need to know how to use this." I said, shaking the lightsaber.
Jon rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "One. You're not a jedi. Two. You're not force sensitive, and three…" he frowned at the saber, "That's a sith weapon. Your mother is a sith?"
"I'm not a jedi." I said firmly, "I don't want to be. I am force sensitive, but my mother, apparently, subtly taught me to suppress it with my sword training…" at that he looked at me more curiously, then utterly exasperated, "And three. My mom is the nicest, kindest, most loyal family women I have ever met. And I know his mom!" I added pointing at Barradowwa who conceded the fact with a shrug, before I pointed at Jon, prodding his chest. "She was a sith. She's is NOT anymore." Jon sighed, and looked conflicted. "…I need to know how to use this…" I said, "…And either you teach me, or I find someone else."
Jon scowled, but he stood up and casually walked past me, hands behind his back as he looked Barradowwa up and down. "Excuse me." He said as Barradowwa stepped aside, "Follow me." He said looking over his shoulder at me and walking out. I followed him out into the back yard and pointing at the grass in front of him he said simply. "Sit."
So, I did, staring up at him as he sat down across from me, crossing his legs. The wind strangely picked up at that moment. "Close your eyes." He said calmly, "And listen…" I closed my eyes, and he took a deep breath. I imitated him as I listened… "Reach out with your mind… feeling the air and the wind around you as you search deep inside yourself to-"
A CRACK! Interrupted him.
"Ow!!" I shouted as a long thick wooden stick cracked onto my head, he stood over me, watching me intently. "WHAT THE HELL!?"
He grunted annoyed and tossed the stick aside dismissively. "Alright step two then."
"What?" I shouted at him indignantly. "You hit me with a STICK!" I groaned, feeling the bump form on my head. "Where did you even get that?!" I asked as, before my eyes he lifted the stick with the force, spinning it slowly in the air as he watched me stoically.
"If you truly are force sensitive and it's been suppressed by your mother's training then we need to break those bindings so that you can stop me from doing that…" he said coolly, "Using the lightsaber is about feeling the force to guide your hand. Not your emotions. That's sith talk. Do you want me to give you a crash course in lightsaber combat? We need to start with this." He said. "Close your eyes."
I growled, and against my better judgment closed my eyes.
"Feel the air around you…" he began again, but I was listening to the stick swirl through the air as best I could. "Try to reach out with the force and-"
Another CRACK!! Interrupted him.
The stick slammed against my shoulder, "Ow! WHY?" I growled, rubbing the sore spot now as the stick flew into his hand. Barradowwa and Rattletrap stood at the doorway of the house as Killa stepped down the ramp of the ship, surprisingly not wearing her armor as she watched curiously.
"Focus!" Jon scolded, "We need to break your bonds to free your force sensitivity."
"Oh?" Killa asked airily, approaching Jon and watching me curiously for a moment, she leaned down and whispered something in his ear. He looked at her oddly but frowned in thought.
"Very well… we have a long day ahead of us, and short of time, it seems we might as well try it." Killa gave me a comforting smile and quickly stood beside Barradowwa as Jon dropped the stick, taking a deep breath. "Close your eyes." I glared at him suspiciously and he added, "I won't hit you with the stick." He threw the stick using the force at Barradowwa who easily caught it and tossed it to Rattletrap.
I closed my eyes, I could hear him take a deep breath. I mimicked him…
"Your father is a failure, and your mother is nothing more than a murderous killer who got what they deserved." He flew from his sitting position as I roared my rage at him, he caught himself, staring in surprise at the sudden burst of force.
"What did you say!?" I roared at him, leaping towards him as the others, minus Killa, stared in surprise. I tried to hit him, but he easily dodged and deflected my punches, surprisingly skilled in echani combat. He slapped his palm against my forehead and I dropped to the ground. Suddenly feeling very weak…
"…Rage. Of course it's rage…" he grumbled reluctantly, "… It's always rage." He held me down as the rage decreased. "A brief moment… I felt the force flow through you, but only in a quick burst." He gently got me to my feet, "…It might be enough to teach you… but I don't think you'll ever have a mastery over the force like a Jedi." He stroked his beard in thought, "...That is very odd. But still, you are somewhat force sensitive."
Killa smirked proudly, and elbowed Barradowwa as Jon turned to Rattletrap. "Young sir… could you perhaps prepare me some wooden rods of equal length?" he pulled out his lightsaber as a bright green blade erupted from the hilt as he spun it expertly. "About this long?" Rattletrap saluted with the stick, and turned to walk into the house as Jon put the lightsaber away again.
"Wooden rods?" I asked curiously as he patted my shoulder knowingly.
"Do you want me to swing a lightsaber at you?" he asked with a humorous smile. "Wood is light and a close enough substitute to the real thing. We'll want to practice movement before we get to combat and deflection."
…Crash course was an understatement. He gave me three days. Barradowwa eagerly watched the whole time as everyone else went about their day. Seis and Killa wander off to do who knows what, busy work in town, killing wild animals, or bothering the colonists. And Nike spent her evenings patching me up. Day One, movement. Day two, combat. And finally Day three…
He handed me mom's lightsaber and stepped away as Barradowwa, Seis and Killa stood opposite me at a distance and he stood off to the side. "Now. Today we'll practice deflection. Activate your lightsaber." He said, and the red blade appeared as he began handing out small blasters to the three.
"Wait are those…?" I began as he smiled, now standing on the other side as they looked at the blasters.
"Stun blasters." He said firmly, "Extremely low settings… they will however sting like a pinch." He then gestured to my three friends and said calmly, "Shoot him."
"Pardon?" I asked as they themselves seemed a little unsure.
"This doesn't seem right." Killa noted firmly, as unfortunately Seis aimed and fired. Reacting quickly my lightsaber swung and knocked the stun blaster bolt into the ground. I moved without thinking but she began to fire again and again as I deflected the blaster. Feeling the lightsaber move for me.
"Seis! Seriously?!" I shouted as she kept firing.
"What?! It's a stun blaster you'll be fine!" she replied as Barradowwa glared at her.
"You're shooting at him far too easily." He noted, lowering the pistol as he and Killa glared accusingly at a smiling Seis who was obviously having too much fun.
"Oh, lighten up Barry." She mumbled, "I promise if this was a real blaster I wouldn't be shooting him."
"It is for his training." Jon replied sincerely but with a casual shrug.
"You're taking this far too well!!" I shouted deflecting more and more stun blasts as oddly, Barradowwa began firing as well. I felt a few stings. But a majority of the stun blasts were deflected even as a reluctant Killa joined in.
X-E, Rattletrap and Nike watched from the house, Rattletrap obviously cheering as Nike watched nervously on. I however was starting to sweat… and breathe heavily, using a lightsaber constantly was a lot harder than just shooting somebody…
"…Okay." Jon said, raising a hand as they stopped firing. He watched me intently, as he approached. I deactivated my lightsaber as he nodded. But looked concerned. "…You are very good at that. Ridiculously so for someone who couldn't really tap into the force until a few days ago."
"…Well… mom trained me first." I said, smiling a little proudly at the fact.
"Yes, she certainly did." He said with a nod, "Well… with a bit more practice." He force pulled our training sticks into his hand and handed them to me. "You'll be a master saber fighter yourself." Barradowwa took one of the sticks, resting it on his shoulder with a friendly smile. "…Good luck young Roland." He said and began walking away. But he paused, looking over his shoulder. "…But… if you ever feel like you need a new way of life. You can always come to the Jedi temple on Coruscant." He then walked away, getting into his speeder and heading back to town.
"That was awesome!" Rattletrap cheered as he skipped out of the house with Nike right behind him. "Do it again!"
"I really don't want to do that…" I smiled as Nike immediately began checking my red spots where the blasters had snuck through, none of them would've been lethal but they still stung.
"Well get some rest Roland!" smiled Barradowwa as he grinned knowingly, "Because we're going to start sparring tomorrow… we need to keep up your practice."
"And hey!" Seis smiled, "We still got the blasters!" Killa however yanked Seis' blaster out of her hand, glaring at the Rattataki. "What? I'm just saying…"
But she was right. Three days didn't make me a master and there was a half-dozen sith and lightsaber users out there ready to prove me right… I was going to need all the practice I could get.
End of Chapter.
Bonus.
I frowned quietly as I wandered my ship, scratching my head as I tried to remember where I put one of my coms, then as I saw it on my bed I entered my room, smiling I tossed it in the air and caught it.
"Roland!"
"Dah!?!" I shouted as I turned towards the owner of the voice and finding my… stepmother? I found Newt.
"I am DEEPLY disappointed in you!" she shouted prodding me.
"What did I do?!" I asked surprised, looking into her face.
"You have three women on this ship and you haven't taken them out on ONE DATE!" she shouted at me, "Your father was better than that!"
I stared at her, "…Are you… being serious right now?" I asked hesitatingly, getting a really go look at her.
…She was wearing clown makeup… and something distinctly kinky. Like a cross between a harem dancer and… well a clown. She glared at me, even behind the colorful makeup she was still intimidating. "Do not let my costume distract you. Crazy Candi is not an idiot I need to wear this." She noted but quickly grabbed my ear and pulled.
"Ow! Ow!!" I whimpered, "What is with you and ears?!"
"Now. you are going to be a gentleman, you are going to treat your women to a night on the town and so help me you are going to enjoy yourselves or I will tear your ear off and take it with me, so I can yell at you from a distance!" she let me go as I rubbed my ear hesitantly.
"Seriously? But what about Altora?"
"What about Altora?!" she replied flatly, "I'm still working on it and you're supposed to be bait. Now go out there on dates and be bait!" she doped slapped me and added a little more kindly "…Just treat them to something nice once in a while…" she noted, walking down the hall of the ship, her long cloth bottoms swaying across her shapely body.
"You do know one of them keeps trying to kidnap me, right?!" I shouted after her as she waved me off. I mumbled to myself, rubbing my ear as I wondered where Nike would like to go for dinner.
End of Bonus.
date nights... shall... return
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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